BMW classic sports car loyalists will agree that modern tech and improved safety features have eroded the thrill and experience of the original M-car. But the 2022 BMW M240i xDrive comes with a few ingredients reminiscent of that old-spice recipe. Thanks to its quick acceleration, perfect handling, and performance, it is as punchy as the BMW M2.
Forget the part where the new BMW M240i xDrive doesn’t have a convertible or manual variant. It still has the building blocks of an M-car, with performance traits to match.
On the exterior, you get a boot lid spoiler as standard and a subtle diffuser at the rear bottom. You also get wheel arches on the sides and, at the front, a much deeper frontal bumper, and larger air intakes.
Is it appealing enough to turn heads? Yes! It has thick bulges and sounds daring with your foot on the throttle.
Under the hood, the BMW M240i comes with a 3-liter 6-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine making 369 HP (374 PS) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. All this juice drives all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic ZF transmission. It’s a pity the new 2 Series doesn’t come with a manual transmission, but you can still control it manually with paddle shifters.
It will do 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in 4.3-seconds with a capped top speed of 155 mph (250 kph).
The new M240i carried over its powertrain from the M440i, making this small-sized M-car over 1.7 tonnes (1.9-short tons). Don’t sweat it. The bulk does little to affect its claimed 35 mpg (3.9 l/100 km) on the highway.
Behind the wheel, the new BMW M240i has the confidence to breeze through twisty roads. The engine feels smooth and has so much low-down punch you won’t realize it’s a turbocharged car.
Mat Watson doesn’t think you’d be quicker in an old BMW M2 but will miss the hard-edge involvement. The suspension also feels much better in the new M240i than in the old one.
Based on Watson’s test, the 2022 BMW M240i did the 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) run in 3.8-seconds and completed a quarter-mile in 12.21-seconds.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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